1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to water distribution and plumbing pipes, and particularly to a leak detection band adapted for mounting about a pipe joint for generating an alert signal when a liquid leak from the pipe joint is detected.
2. Description of the Related Art
Water leaks in water distribution networks in cities underground, homes and businesses cause a tremendous amount of damage to structures and contents. Leaks generally occur in pipe networks due to corrosion, bad workmanship or failed parts. If an occupant is present and the leak is easily visible, water damage can often be prevented. However, many leaks occur under roads, bridges or buildings, behind cabinets and in the walls so that even if workers or an occupant are present, the leaks may not be discovered until a very substantial amount of damage has been caused. It is not uncommon for an undetected leak to literally create havoc and require major reconstruction to return the damaged infrastructure, such as roads and buildings, to a usable state. Moreover, leaks induce the growth of hazardous mold.
Typical conventional pipeline leak detection systems are relatively inefficient in terms of response time, sensitivity, robustness and cost. Pipeline leaks are typically detected by observation of the external effects of the spill, or by monitoring and analysis of the internal hydraulics of the pipeline. Neither of these methods provides real-time monitoring of the leak itself, only the indirect effects of a leak. A pipeline leak detection system to alert operators is desired so that the size of the spill can be limited, thus providing rapid detection, as well as reliability and sensitivity.
Thus, a leak detection band solving the aforementioned problems is desired.